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Fresh

The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

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The Tomatometer is 59% or lower.

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Movie Info

Troy Billings is seventeen, overweight, and suicidal. Just as he's about to jump in front of a bus, he's saved by Marcus, a charming high school dropout/street musician. The two begin an uneasy friendship when Marcus enlists the musically challenged Troy to become the drummer in a newpunk rock band. As Troy's relationship with Marcus grows, Troy's father becomes increasingly concerned about his son's new friendship. -- (C) Official Site

Audience Reviews for Fat Kid Rules the World

½

One of the more oddball dramedies I have seen in some time. The cast and the story in FAT KID RULES THE WORLD are pretty amazing! Matthew Lillard has carved out a nice career for himself and if this movie is any indication of his talents behind the camera. We may be seeing some good stuff from him in the coming years. Jacob Wysocki is a very talented actor and I hope to see more of him, he made this movie!

While nothing that new (unpopular kid starts hanging out with rebel kid who makes him more brave and confident) but its still done well, wysocki is good, doesnt overplay it, oleary may at first seem like a prick, even tho hes helping troy, he still ditches him and steals from him and does drugs, but then i thought that its good that they show that the saving grace or savior to troy isnt perfect, and needs help from him just as much as the other way around, the real standout tho is billy campbell as the dad, hes such a good character, strict but fair, and also compassionate, he never made any stupid decisions, he was def my favorite character, ill be interested to see if matthew lillard directs anything else

Who the hell thought Matthew Lillard of all people could direct a damn good movie? I was very iffy on this film for about the first 30 minutes, it felt quite clear that an inexperienced filmmaker was behind the camera, but as the film progressed I found myself becoming more and more absorbed by the story and Lillard's skills really seemed to flourish as the film progressed. The overall story is something we've seen before but the little differences along the way somehow make it a nice change of pace. Like the kid who helps the title character in reality much worse off then him. Fat Kid's father wonderfully played by underrated Billy Campbell is an ex-marine that doesn't fall into the overbearing hard ass mean to be mean role. What makes this film work is its lead performance from Jacob Wysocki. He gives a great performance that is both fearless and funny, Wysocki really isn't afraid to mock himself which is very admirable. Lillard is obviously really passionate about the source material and it shows which makes me curious about his future endeavors.

An authentic take on the struggles of growing up a "weirdo" and a surprisingly unique take on the coming of age drama. Fat Kid Rules the World seems to be a passion project at its best, Lillard cares deeply for each of his characters, and he gives them enough time and material on screen to appear real and three dimensional. New-comer Jacob Wysocki is amazing in this role, to the point that he feels born to play it, hopefully, for the sake of the actor, this isn't a better performance by the casting director than the actor.

What works best here is the fact that the characters don't always follow the Hollywood path laid out in other coming of age dramas, rather they always stay true to who they are. Troy is a good guy who wants to do what's right and wants to obey his father, so even when he does something rebellious, he's always honest with his father. He can see the dangers of hanging out with Marcus, but he genuinely wants to help him out.

The performances from Wysocki, O'Leary, and Campbell are particularly strong, and really work to make the characters and the world feel more real. Lillard is able to put the focus on them rather than the crazy things happening in the plot, and so the slow pacing and any predictable plot elements are overlooked, because we're so enthralled with the characters. It's not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but Fat Kid Rules the World is a sweet and authentic look at growing up an outcast, and a promising first outing for a new director.